pooltuna

maybe something like 1♥ 2♠ 3♦ 3♠ 4♣ 4♦ 4♥ 5♦ 6♣ 7♠

In this situation, I play high from a singleton (encouraging), low from length. Some people prefer upside attitude however and reverse these. :) yes I only play UDCA when I have a singleton 2. :)

Seems reasonable. Personally I think if you can tell the HCP for the combined hands run in the 28-30 range and you have relatively balanced hands then 3NT probably fares a little better

Tuna: Isn't the point that we want to finesse if North has 3 clubs and play to drop if North has 2 clubs? Your analysis (which I'm not necessarily agreeing with) only allows for the North to have 1 or 2 clubs, so why would you ever finesse? yeah I keep getting my LHO and RHO mixed up so you are left with RHO needing to hold 1453 or 1462 and ruffing a ♦ should clear that up unless I still haven't had enough coffee this morning

I did, need to know how the diamonds split which it doesn't tell me, there may be no guess to make. You have to assume N started w/6♦ to even have a prayer of making. If RHO only has five he would never start the auction with 1♦ holding 1552. Your real problem is deciding whether RHO would start with 1♦ holding 1561 (♠x ♥KJxxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣x) vs 1462 (♠x ♥KJxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣Qx). Given the existing auction we need to know how the opps play 2♥ and how they play an immediate 4♥ call by our LHO. I suspect LHO's inability to call a natural 4♥ in this auction would favor a holding of xx AQTxxxx x Qxx which means RHO was planning to reverse his hand with a 1561 hand that I would probably open 1♥ so IMO it is still a tossup as to whether or not to finesse.

What will you do if LHO wins ♠A and plays a heart? duck of course but I was inclined to take the ♥ finesse at trick 2 as a gut reaction

you have to draw the line somewhere on FP and partner opening the bidding and me qbidding support, regardless of whether you agree that is the right call, should push us over that line. This is really a non-issue for this hand as I agree the double is clear.

I can see the logic and and having definition between 2♣-6♥ over 6♥ direct, but exactly how is opening 6♥ direct with AK KQJT98x AKJx going to help the partnership unless partner has A♥ and AK♣? you don't think the Q♦ alone is enough to make 6? The original hand Josh posted was ♠AK ♥KQJT98x ♦AKJx ♣- The a priori odds of partner holding the Q♦ or A♥ is 55%. That alone is probably enough justification to bid 6♥ altho you still need luck with the ♦ if partner has just the A♥.

Oh well... I'm hoping that someone who believes (as I do) that this hand is too strong to splinter will offer a full auction. well assuming you use Walsh and fast arrival an immediate 2♥ (over 1♥) call ought to begin a slam investigation as well as promise at least x45(+)y

I would attempt to warn partner ...so X

I'll bite....4♥

Ron, I have known you for a very long time here and this is way beneath you. Nothing Josh or Justin previously said comes remotely close to justifying this kind of attack. Please stop acting like one of these. Wow I can tell you guys have never chased a greased pig before! They are damned hard to catch and hold. And this one has lots of KY but at least he shakes a ham at you every so often daring you to try. :)

that's not so weak after all you had a 5 card suit :) plus according to the fora all spots cards are equal so you actually held 999 99999 99 999

my choice as well. The 3NT callers think they find [hv=s=sxxxhaxxdxxxxxcqx]133|100|[/hv] as often as they get [hv=s=sxxxhaxxdxxxxxcqx]133|100|[/hv] :rolleyes:

and all this time I thought it was Quinn the eskimo :(

at a minimum or even possibly 66 to be bidding over 3♦

bidding now is not the problem, the problem is, are we going to save over 4♥ So far they've bid 1H and 2H, neither of which showed very much, not sure why we expect them to bid 4H now. because some people, me included, play that 2♥ in this auction shows extras

Josh?, You escaped? :lol:

yes! no doubt, given the size of our universe, that there is at least one other planet that evolved humans exactly the same as our planet and one of them is the most beautiful female currently present in the universe. (and of course chosen in the usual objective manner) :blink:

this seems reasonable to me. I presume a direct 2♠ by partner in an open-ended auction would show a particularly strong hand with the 2♥ qbid also fairly strong. Nevertheless the GUOG after opps have opened a strong 1NT principle probably applies so these calls need to be taken in that context. The what?!! GUOG :blink: GUOG=Give Up On Game

bidding now is not the problem, the problem is, are we going to save over 4♥

4♠ wtp? the double splinter is a duplication of values and you have very little in the non ♥ suits certainly not enough to even entertain thoughts of slam.

this seems reasonable to me. I presume a direct 2♠ by partner in an open-ended auction would show a particularly strong hand with the 2♥ qbid also fairly strong. Nevertheless the GUOG after opps have opened a strong 1NT principle probably applies so these calls need to be taken in that context.

These are strong opponents? I wouldn't call opponents strong that perpetrated a V vs NV save at the 6 level when we have no slam. Actually I guess they are strong but odor isn't everything :)

3♦ and yes, I pass